Separable fastener or clasp.



L. D. LOVEKIN.

SEPARAIBLE PASTENER 0B GLASP.

APPLIGATION FILED DBO. 18. 1907.

908,288. Patented Dec.29,1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER DANIEL LOVEKIN, OF OVERBROOK, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEPARABLE FASTENER 0R CLASP.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER DANIEL Lovn- KIN, citizen of the United States, residing at O .erbrook, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsyl .ania, have innented certain new and useful Improrements in separable Fasteners or Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to separable fasteners or clasps for use with belts, gloves, suspenders, garters, hand-bags, purses, or other similar articles of wearing-apparel, and it has for its principal object to prozide a simple and efficient fastening dexice the members of which are adapted to be readily connected and disconnected and when in use will be free from liability to accidental disconnection.

A further object of the in'iention is to so form the members of the fastenin de'ice that they will neatly fit one within t e other when in use, and further to have the locking parts of the fasteners situated in the plane of the body of the members, whereby all pro jecting portions of said locking parts will be incased within the outer member of the fastener. In such a structure where the members, when in locked position, nest closely together, said members take up a minimum amount of space as will be readily understood.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear more fully hereinafter, the invention consists of the novel construction and combination of parts herein described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawin wherein,

Figure 1 is a top p an siew of the inner member of the separable fastener, illustrating a suitable extension thereon to which may be connected the end of a belt or strap. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the outer member, Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the inner member taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar View of the outer member taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the inner member, illustrating a simple double bayonet-slot in its side wall. Fig. 6 is a similar wiew showing recesses. Fig. 7 is a like yiew illustrating the single form of bayonet-slot. Fig. 8 is a like wiew illustrating a double bayonet-slot hating its horizontal portion slightly inclined. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the outer Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 18, 1907.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Serial No. 407,058.

member of the separable fastener as adapted for use in connection with garters. Fig. 10 is a similar yiew of the inner member of such a fastener. Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view of the outer member taken on the line 1 l1 1 of Fig. 9, and Fig. 12 is a similar yiew of the inner member taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a cross sectional yiew of the inner member, illustrating some modifications of the same.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in the several views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the outer member of the separable fastener, and 2 the inner member of the same, said mem: bers being formed of concavo-convex shape and adapted to neatly fit one within the other when in use. Each of the members is provided with some suitable means for securing the same to the article or garment upon which it is desired to be used. In this connection, it is to be noted that in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4:, the members are formed with an extended portion 3 provided with a slot 4 to which may be attached the end of a belt or strap, and that in Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, the members are each provided with slotted extensions 5, to which garter elastic bands may be attached in the usual way.

".lhe members may also be attached in any other manner according to its use, such for instance as sewing or otherwise securing the members directly upon the face of the fabric.

In adapting the fastener for attachment directly to the face of the fabric, perforations, as indicated at 11 in Fig. 13, are provided in the flanges of both parts of the fastener, thus enabling the same to be sewed to the fabric. The outer member 1 is preferably made with its central portion concavo-conveX, and the edges 6 thereof are fiat and are provided, if necessary, with some suitable means for securing it to the material to which the member is to be applied. Formed upon the inside of this outer member are lugs or projections 7 and the double bayonet-slot and also the lockmg 8, which extend inwardly from the sides thereof as clearly shown in the drawing, and it is to be noted that said lugs are illustrated as being stamped out of the sides of the said outer member. Vl hile it is preferable to form the lugs in this manner, the same may be formed in any other'jvay' .as'.iI1.ay be found desirable. 'lhese lugs or projections are positioned diametrically opposite one another and constitute the means for locking the said outer memberto theiinner member, the lugs 7 and 8 engaging within bayonet-slots 9 and 10 respectively, which are formed in the sides of the inner member. Instead of providing bayonet-slotS'as are shown in the accompanying drawing, grooves may be formed upon'the outside of the inner member in such position as to be engaged by the lugs or projections heretofore referred to, said grooves being indicated at 10 in Fig. 13. It is to be noted that the inner member is also made of concavoconvex shape and is adapted to neatly fit within the outer member when in use, the edges 11 of said member being also made fiat and provided with means for securing the same in a plied position.

'lhe norma position of the lugs or projections when attached to the article or garment, is a little to one side of the entrance to the bayonet-slots, so that it requires the'u per or outer member to be turned a partia revolution to allow the lugs to enter their respective slots, and after the lugs have passed along the vertical portion of the bayonet-slots, said outer member is turned'baok to its normal position to cause the lugs to enter the horizontal portion of said slots and thereby lock the members together.

It is to be further noted with respect to the lugs or projections, that when the members are brought togetherfor the purpose of looking the same, said lugs, if they do not immediately enter their res ective slots, will be supported u on a shou der 2 formed on the inner mem er, and owing to the fact that the edges of the lugs will, when'in this position, engage the sides of said inner memer, said lugs will be guided thereby for the purpose of enabling them'to more readily enter their respective slots as the members are rotated. By this construction the parts are adapted to be locked together without difficulty.

The upper portion or top 12 of the inner member is made somewhat flexible and adapted to be depressed by the upper or outer member when the members are in locked position, whereby said flexible portion acts as a spring to hold the parts against accidental displacement. In other words the flexible portion of the inner member after being depressed by pressure being brought to bear upon the top surface of the outer member, serves to force the members apart and thereby hold the lugs under tension against the upper side of the horizontal portion of the bayonet-slot.

' The simple formof bayonet-slot as shown in Fig. 7 can be used with great advantagein a fastener of the .type herein described, and will effectively prevent any accidental disconnection of the parts when said parts are in locked position and under tensionas hereiniset forth. It is, however, to

be noted that in Fig. 6, a recess 13 is formed in the sides, of the inner memberand extends upward a slight distance from the extreme end of the horizontal portion of the bayonetslot, forming an extension thereof. In such a construction the lugs are adapted to engage within said recesses, when in locked position, to further revent accidental disconnection of the mem ers, the lugs being held in such position owing to the tension exerted by the spring metal top 12 upon the several parts of the fastener. Again in Fig. 8, the horizontal portion of the bayonet slot is formed with its upper side slightly inclined as shown at 14, the same providing a very simple and eficient means for preventing the accidental working loose of the parts of the fastener, it being understood that considerable friction would be brought to bear as the lugs were made to slide upon this inclined surface against the tension of the spring member heretofore referred to. It is still to be further noted that in Figs. 5, 6, and 8 the inner member is illustrated with a double bayonet slot, that is to say slots which have their horizontal ortion extending to either side of the vertica' portion of said slot, so that'the members may be locked togetherby turning the outer member in either direction as may be desired.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing descri tion that it is practically impossible to isengage the members from one another by mere pull or tension, but that it will be necessary to first compress the upper or outer member, which will in turn depress the flexible top portion'of the inner member and thus relieve the tension upon the lugs and allow them to pass freely within the slots as the outer member is'tu'rned a partial revolution in order to disengage the'lockin'g parts of the fastener. At the same time the operation is one which can be very easily performed, in view of the fact that the compressingand turning of the outer member will constitute practically a continuous operation. No amount of tension, however, will serve to disengage the parts, and this fact renders the fastener or clasp highly superior to the snap-fastener ordinarily used on gloves, which can be disengaged by a pull or tension and which after continuous usage for a short time becomes so loose and worn that the parts will become disengaged on the slightest rovocation. I

What claim is 1. A separable garment fastener, comprising an outer con'cavo-oonvex member having lugs or projections extending inwardlyfrom the sides thereof, an inner member nesting within the outer member and having bayonet slots therein which are adapted to receive the said lugs for the purpose of locking the members together by rotary movement, and means carried by each member for attaching the same to the garment.

2. In a separable fastener, the combination of an outer member having lugs or projections extending inwardly from the sides of said member, and an inner member having bayonet-slots for receiving the said lugs and locking the members together, a portion of said inner member being flexible and adapted to serve as a spring for holding the members in locked position.

3. A separable fastener comprising two companion concavo-convex members which are provided with means for locking the same together, one of said members being flexible and adapted to be depressed when in use, whereby the same acts as a spring to hold the members in locked position.

l. A separable fastener comprising two companion concavo-conveX members, one of which is provided with bayonet-slots and the other lugs or projections to engage in said slots for locking the members together, said slotted member having a flexible top which serves when depressed by the other member as a spring to hold the members in locked position.

5. A separable fastener comprising two companion members provided with means for locking the members together, and one of said members being provided with an integral spring which is adapted to be engaged by the other member and to hold said members in locked position.

6. A separable fastener comprising two companion members provided with means for locking the members together by rotary movement, and one of said members being provided with an integral part which is adapted to be depressed by engagement with the other member during said rotary movement for the purpose of serving as a means for holding the members in locked position.

7. A separable fastener comprising two companion members provided with means for locking the members together, and one of said members having an integral flexible portion which is adapted to be engaged by the other member to hold said members in locked position.

8. A separable fastener comprising two companion concavo-convex members adapted to fit neatly one within the other, and means for locking said members together, the inner member havin a flexible top which is capable of being depressed by pressure applied upon the outer member, in which depressed position it serves as a spring to retain the members in locked position.

9. A se arable fastener comprising an outer memh er having lugs pro ec ting inwardly from the sides thereof in aplane with its base, and an inner member having bayonet slots for receiving the said lugs and locking the members together, the horizontal portion of said slots being approximately in the same plane with the lower edge of the inner member.

10. A separable fastener comprising two co-acting members, one of which is provided with lugs which project from the sides thereof in a plane with its base, and the other having bayonet slots for receiving the said lugs and locking the members together, the horizontal portion of said slots being approxi mately in the same plane with the lower edge of the slotted member.

11. A separable garment fastener comprising two co-acting members each provided with means for attaching the same to the garment, one of which is provided with lugs or projections, and the other slots for receiving the lugs and locking the members together, means on said slotted member for supporting the lugs in proper position to be guided to their respective slots, and means for guiding the lugs to the entrance of said slots.

12. A separable garment fastener comprising two co-acting members each provided with means for attaching the same to the gar ment, one of Which is provided with lugs or projections, and the other slots for receiving said lugs and locking the members together, a supporting surface on said slotted member for locating the lugs in proper position to be guided to their respective slots, and a guiding surface also formed on the slotted member and with which the lugs engage so as to enable them to more readily enter said slots.

13. A separable fastener comprising an outer member having lugs or projections, an inner member having slots for receiving the lugs and locking the members together, means on said slotted member for supporting the lugs in proper position to be guided to their respective slots, means also formed on the slotted member for guiding the lugs to the entrance of said slots, and a spring for holding the members in locked position.

14. A separable garment fastener comprising two co-acting members each provided with means for attaching the same to the garment, one of which is provided with lugs or projections, and the other slots for receiving the lugs and locking the members together, a shoulder on the slotted member for supporting the lugs in proper position to be guided to their respective slots, and an annular surface with which the lugs engage for guiding the same to the entrance of said slots.

15. A two part fastener, comprising two substantially cylindrical portions one adapted to fit over and surround the other, and a lateral extension carried by each of the cylindrical portions for attaching the same to the ends of a belt, said cylindrical portions being also provided with bayonet joint interlocking devices arrangedto permit the engagement'and In testimony whereof I'aflix my signature disengagement of said cylindrical portions inpresence of two Witnesses.

when they are turned relatively to each other so that said extensions are at an angle to one another, and toprevent said disengagement Iyhen said extensions are in the same straight me. i

THER A I L LOVEK 

